Poi, gripping with nostalgia, delivers standard 3D platforming in a adorable and relaxing way, putting nothing between you and the thrill of exploration, but this resolve to keep the game simple and to the point leaves it lacking in content. It's a fantastic way to unwind, though not much else. The exclusive content to the Explorer Edition adds little to the experience, and you're better off purchasing the title on Steam or another console, unless you want to pay the premium to have the option of mobility. A charming presentation coupled with dull interaction leaves this specific product mediocre.
It may be a poor teacher with text-heavy interfaces, but Monster Hunter: World is a great entry into the franchise if you haven't played anything from the series thus far. It's polished and filled with content, and you'll regret not immersing yourself in the series sooner. It provides a challenging yet enjoyable combat system that will keep you on your toes, and the variety of menacing monsters adds new challenges and keeps things from getting dull. You'll happily trade hours of your free time for more monsters to hunt, capture, and slay.
I stared deep into the eyes of the deer, waiting for it to speak. There was no grass, no trees; just a white void surrounding me and her heavenly grace as she judged me and my actions. But she did not speak. She did not even blink. As the silence dragged on, I grew more desperate, bargaining with her to just make sense of this, please! What should I be feeling? What should I be believing!? Deer God, what lesson do I need to learn? She screamed, for she did not know. I screamed, for I did not know. Perhaps that was the lesson to learn, that there is nothing to know. Don't buy this game.
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet, for somebody only remotely aware of the source material, is an enjoyable game with interesting tricks in design held back by an otherwise intrusive plot. Somebody who loves the source material will think the game deserves a higher score, and somebody who hates the source material will think the game deserves a lower score, but that's ultimately what holds the game back from being something successful; it wants to be the anime, not a game. And as a game about an anime about a game, it seems like a missed opportunity.
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is this perfect execution of an RPG that I haven't experienced in a long time. It's grand in its vision and, while simple in the execution, the execution it delivers is nearly flawless nonetheless. There are moments where I wish the game paced itself better, toned down the threatening music, or attempted to tug at my heart a bit more, but the game was fun and charming and worthy of praise. Buy this game.